Could Dixon successfully transition into a noseguard?


With Sean McDermott out as the defensive coordinator and a 3-4 trend hitting the NFL once again, everyone is wondering whether or not the Eagles could, and should, consider a switch in defensive philosophy.

First things first, Andy Reid and the new defensive coordinator (whomever that may turn out to be) would have to decide if they have the talent on the roster to make it work.

When transitioning from a 4-3 to a 3-4, a team must first make sure they have a reliable noseguard. The Buffalo Bills made the switch and found Kyle Williams, the Green Bay Packers made the switch and drafted B.J. Raji, the Washington Redskins made the switch and had absolutely no one.

Williams is a Pro Bowler, the Packers are in the NFC Championship game, and the Redskins are in complete disarray -- so clearly a noseguard is very important.

For the Eagles, they might have one in Antonio Dixon. From what I've seen, I would be cautiously optimistic that he could handle playing the middle and covering both A-gaps. He has a great first step and clearly understands leverage and how to stop an offensive lineman's momentum.

He's also 6'3 and 325 pounds, so that certainly doesn't hurt.

For defensive ends, the only one I'm certain could pull it off is Brodrick Bunkley. He's got a good mix of speed and power to play the end position. If he's asked to control C-gap and squeeze down to B-gap, I believe he could do that.

His pass-rushing ability could be an issue, but that is something that could be worked on and taught over the offseason.

The other end would have to either be Mike Patterson or Trevor Laws, and I find myself leaning toward Laws because of his ability to rush the passer. Of the defensive tackles, he has the best feet but might lack in the running game.

There's a good chance that Laws could get washed out and create a huge hole up the B-gap or lose contain if he tries to take an inside step and gets caught. At 6'1 and 305 pounds, he has a low center of gravity but hasn't shown an ability to play the run consistently.

Patterson could be a guy used in a 4-3 set or as a backup to Dixon. He isn't even as big as Laws at only 300 pounds but has shown an ability to stand his ground and play the run. It would be a real shot in the dark as to whether he could hold up for an entire game, but should Dixon go down having Patterson would be a good safety net.

The linebackers are much easier to choose. In a 3-4, the outside linebackers obviously have to be able to rush the passer and have enough athleticism to drop back into coverage. The two clear-cut favorites on the roster are Trent Cole and Brandon Graham.

Cole spent a lot of the season dropping back into coverage because apparently McDermott thought it would be a good idea to send his best pass-rusher backwards. Even though it was a ridiculous thought to put him in coverage, he did a pretty decent job of it.

Cole would be asked to rush the passer more often than not, and we've seen him do that in a stand-up position before when he played the Joker role for both Jim Johnson and McDermott.

Coming out of college, Graham was considered a 'tweener. In fact, a lot of scouts and draftniks thought he would be better suited as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 and had him going to the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots -- two teams in need of 3-4 outside linebackers.

And the draftniks aren't the only ones who think Graham would be good in a 3-4.

"Woo, man, I would love that," Graham said Sunday in a conference call with reporters. "Being a stand-up [linebacker] with Trent [Cole] on the other side? That would be nasty. That would be nice. I would be excited about it, I can tell you that much."

I'm also of the thinking that Graham is probably more suited as a stand-up linebacker. That doesn't mean he can't play defensive end in the 4-3 or even that he won't be a very good 4-3 defensive end, but he reminds me a lot of Elvis Dumervil and could probably play just as well.

So far, we have Laws, Dixon, and Bunkley on the line with Cole and Graham playing outside linebacker. All that's left is finding two inside linebackers.

The obvious two choices for that would be Jamar Chaney and Stewart Bradley.

Chaney is tough enough to play MIKE in the 4-3, so he shouldn't have any issue being given half the responsibility as a 3-4 inside linebacker. Then Bradley, who is a natural SAM in the 4-3, should be more than capable of handling the calls and playing half the field in coverage when the outside linebacker next to him blitzes.

The secondary is obviously unchanged by the move and would remain the same.

If the team chose to switch to the 3-4, they would have an entire offseason to pick from free agency and the draft in order to fill their needs, but should they decide to make the 3-4 nothing more than a variation from their normal 4-3 set a handful of times during a game, they could probably run it with some success given the talent currently on the roster.
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Should the Eagles let Bradley leave via free agency?


With the 2010 season officially over for the Eagles, we can now start looking ahead to the 2011 season. We start by taking a look at who should stay around for next season and who should be shown the door. We'll look position-by-position and also include the coaching staff.

We started with the offense first, now on to the defense.

Defensive Tackles

Mike Patterson: Stay

Patterson is a guy who isn't spectacular at one thing, but is above-average at almost everything sans rushing the passer. He's got good instincts, recognizes the play quickly, and does a good job of creating a stalemate at the line of scrimmage before shedding the blocker and making a play.

Brodrick Bunkley: Stay

Jeff McLane wants him to go, so that alone is reason for him to stay. But in all seriousness, the guy is a brute and plays the run extremely well. He was banged up at the end of the season so he was seeing more time in the rotation but during that time he was starting to look like the Bunkley that stuffed Brandon Jacobs on 4th and 1.

Antonio Dixon: Stay

Easily the best defensive lineman on the team this year. In fact, he plays a two-gap scheme so well he might have what it takes to be a 3-4 noseguard.

Trevor Laws: Stay

Laws is starting to show why he was a second-round pick. He's slowly but surely starting to look like a guy who could start in this league and is the best pass-rushing tackle on the roster. With four sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception I look for Laws to have a much bigger presence next season.

Jeremy Clark: Go

Clark was a disaster in his only action against the Cowboys. Don't expect him to be an Eagle next year.

Jeff Owens: Go

Owens could wind up on the practice squad again, but that's probably the only way he stays on this team. It's impossible to judge him on two career snaps, but with Bunkley, Patterson, Laws, and Dixon already on the roster it would be hard finding room for the seventh-round pick.



Defensive Ends

Trent Cole: Stay

The way Cole disappears in the latter portion of the season is getting old, but that could be a result of increased attention from opposing offenses. Either way, Cole has shown he's capable of being one of the top five defensive ends in the league and isn't going anywhere any time soon.

Juqua Parker: Stay

But not as the starter. Parker's days as the starter are long gone. He is no longer quick or agile enough to handle that. He gets winded far too easily as well. Parker was much better in the rotation, but once Brandon Graham went down his production dropped significantly.

Darryl Tapp: Stay

Tapp played much better down the stretch, but trading for him must still be considered an enormous miss. I said at the time that Chris Clemons and a fourth-round pick was too much, and right now it's looking like only a fourth-round pick would have been too much let alone Clemons and his 11 sacks.

Daniel Te'o-Nesheim: Go

Why can't Andy Reid draft defensive ends in the third round? First Bryan Smith, now Te'o-Nesheim. The guy was a disaster every time he touched the field and I don't think he had a worthwhile play all season. He'll stick around because he was a third-round pick, but he looks like a lost cause to me.

Bobby McCray: Go

Personally, I didn't understand cutting Derrick Burgess for this guy. Neither was going to have a huge impact, but this seemed like a lateral move for a guy that had no chance of being on the roster next season.

Brandon Graham: Stay

This one is pretty obvious. Graham was the 13th overall pick last season, so his roster spot is guaranteed. His rookie season was disappointing, but most rookie defensive ends disappoint in their first season. The only real cause for concern with Graham is that the torn ACL might affect the rest of his career.

Ricky Sapp: Stay

Every year Reid finds a way to keep guys on the roster by sticking them on IR. This season, Sapp was the guy who came down with a knee injury at the most opportune time, so clearly Reid wants to see more of him.

Victor Abiamiri: Go

It's been a catastrophe since day one with Abiamiri. He can't stay healthy and even when he does play he underachieves. Abiamiri could have had a productive career as he slowly seemed to be getting better, but injuries have all but ensured his time in Philly is over.



Linebackers

Ernie Sims: Go

I want Sims to leave Philly and never come back. He was awful at WILL and not anywhere near worth the fifth-round pick given up to acquire him. I would have benched him halfway through the season for either Akeem Jordan or Omar Gaither. They couldn't have been worse.
Stewart Bradley: Stay

If Bradley re-signs, it better be to play SAM. He's not a middle linebacker. He's not nearly physical enough and seemed slow mentally. His athleticism and size, however, make him the perfect SAM, which is actually his natural position.

Moise Fokou: Stay

Fokou is a guy who probably shouldn't be starting, but as a backup and special teams guy he's definitely worth keeping around for another year or so.

Akeem Jordan: Stay

I'm a fan of Jordan and think he's getting a raw deal. He was clearly the better option at either WILL or SAM and for the first month of the season was the most consistent linebacker on the field. But Sean McDermott, in his infinite wisdom, decided to toss him on the bench. Jordan is also an excellent special teams player.

Jamar Chaney: Stay

Not only should he stay, but sans an incredible option in free agency, Chaney should be the starting middle linebacker next year. His worst game as a starter was better than Bradley's best all season long. Chaney has the physicality, the mentality, and the instincts to run this defense.

Keenan Clayton: Stay

I'm torn on Clayton. I really like his athleticism and think he could turn into a good WILL linebacker, but he plays so much like a safety it's tempting to toss him back there and see what he can do. Right now, if I'm the defensive coordinator (have the phone nearby), I have Clayton learning both spots and seeing which one clicks better.

Omar Gaither: Go

Gaither is versatile and good on special teams, but he's just not physical enough. Any team looking for depth at linebacker should pick him up right away, but that's really all he is at this point.



Safeties

Quintin Mikell: Stay

If there's an upgrade available, the team should go for it. Until then, Mikell played well enough to warrant another contract. He's never going to be an All-Pro, but he is an above-average player and a guy the defense looks to as a leader.

Kurt Coleman: Stay

Coleman's coverage needs work, but he's already a solid tackler and clearly a hard-nosed, hard-hitting type of guy. If he gets quicker in the mental aspect of the game, he's probably a guy who could be a backup at both safety spots.

Nate Allen: Stay

Allen looked like a superstar for the first month of the season, but really tailed off later when teams started attacking him. But that's not uncommon for a rookie. If the torn patella tendon doesn't have an adverse affect on his mobility moving forward, the Eagles could have a star in the making.

Colt Anderson: Stay

The most underrated player on the team is Anderson. He made some spectacular special teams plays on the coverage teams and made one of the greatest special teams plays I have ever seen when he pushed a Packer into the ball on a punt in the Wild Card round. It wound up being moot as David Akers missed the field goal, but it was a great play nonetheless.

Jamar Wall/Adams: Go

Nothing but special teams bodies. Good luck in the future.

Marlin Jackson: Go

It's a bit of a shame because I thought there was some potential for him at safety, but this recent injury gives me no faith in him at all. He's not a guy the team can count on, and he could very well get the boot in training camp.

Antoine Harris: Go

Hitting IR was the only way Harris was sticking around. Hopefully he didn't sign a lease for 2011 because he will not be back.



Cornerbacks

Asante Samuel: Stay

Last offseason I called for the Eagles to trade Samuel because of his attitude. He was freelancing on nearly every play and was often caught out of position because of it, leading to some big plays for opposing offenses. But this season it seemed like Samuel was doing more of what was asked of him and even tried to tackle a time or two.

Ellis Hobbs: Go

It's looking like Hobbs could retire but even if he does continue to play it's probably time to let him walk. He is a very up-and-down type of player and was just a stop-gap anyway. Giving him another contract right now wouldn't make much sense.

Joselio Hanson: Stay

The talk of getting rid of Hanson is ridiculous. No, he's not a good option on the outside, but he doesn't have to be. They signed him to play the nickel and it's a spot he plays very well. With Trevard Lindley coming on, they don't need him to play on the outside.

Dimitri Patterson: Stay

A bad stretch against the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings should not overshadow how well he played once Hobbs went down. In nine starts, Patterson finished with over 50 tackles, four interceptions, and one sack. He's a very good open field tackler and reminds me a lot of Sheldon Brown.

Trevard Lindley: Stay

The fourth-round pick showed in his rookie season that he can step in when called upon. He made some rookie mistakes, but overall he showed that he be physical and play bump-and-run, but is also agile enough to play off coverage. Lindley has a very bright future and could be a starter one day.

Jorrick Calvin: Go

Calvin was brought in to be the kick returner and that's it. He didn't see the field often as a corner, and Reid is unlikely to keep him around just to be a returner. A lot of people have been hard on Calvin and his effectiveness as a returner, but let's not forget that he rarely had blocking and did have a touchdown called back.

Brandon Hughes/Gerard Lawson: Go

Like the two Jamars at safety, these two were just some warm bodies for special teams and guys to use in an emergency situation. They'll be moving on next year.
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Derrick Burgess returns to the city that drafted him.


With Brandon Graham likely to land on Injured Reserve for the rest of the season, Andy Reid and Howie Roseman had a roster spot to play with. Smart money said that, because Daniel Te'o-Nesheim is not ready to be a steady contributor, the spot would go to a defensive end.

But if you guessed the guy replacing Graham would be Derrick Burgess, you need to close out your web browser and head to Atlantic City and/or Las Vegas.

Burgess last played for the Eagles during their Super Bowl season in 2004, and joins Cliff Lee in the Philadelphia homecoming this week.

You might remember Burgess as the guy with two sacks of Michael Vick in the Eagles' NFC Championship win over the Atlanta Falcons and one sack of Tom Brady in the Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots.

Burgess left via free agency after the '04 season to chase the money and become a starter with the Oakland Raiders. Over the next four seasons, Burgess racked up 38.5 sacks, including two seasons with double-digits before being traded to the Patriots to play outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme.

The drop-off was painfully obvious with the position switch. In two years with the Pats, Burgess was only able to muster 8.5 sacks.

The thinking in bringing him back now is likely two-fold. One, he can be a pass-rushing option to spell Juqua Parker, who is also 32 years old. And two, he will be able to play in the "Joker" position defensive coordinator Sean McDermott loves so much due to his experience as a stand-up linebacker with the Patriots.

It also doesn't hurt, I suppose, to inject another veteran into a very young defense.

Burgess is by no means the missing piece that will launch this team to the Super Bowl, but if he can take about 10-12 meaningful snaps per game to keep Parker fresh it should result in an overall better defense.

And considering the way this defense has looked as of late, an improvement is certainly needed.

UPDATE: The deal is for two years, and Graham has officially been placed on IR.

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Losing Graham thins out the defensive end rotation.


As if the final weeks of the season weren't going to be difficult enough, the Eagles will now have to do it without two starters on defense as Stewart Bradley and Brandon Graham are expected to miss the rest of the season.

Once Graham hit the turf, there was an immediate cause for concern due to the way he was writhing and clearly in pain. When they showed the replay, I was hoping for some sort of contact to his knee that would imply perhaps a sprain or hyper-extension.

No such luck. He's clearly shown attempt to plant and having his leg give out on him. More often than not, that means a torn ACL.

Those fears were realized Monday as head coach Andy Reid announced Graham had in fact torn his ACL and would be out for the remainder of his rookie season.

Graham had been an off-and-on starter with Juqua Parker, starting six of the first 13 games of the season. Parker will now be expected to start the remaining games and will likely see more snaps than he's used to seeing in a single game.

Rookie defensive end Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, who has been more than disappointing, will likely be active for the rest of the season as the team's fourth end. The problem, however, is that both he and Darryl Tapp are right defensive ends. One of them, likely Te'o-Nesheim, will be asked to play out of position.

Bradley injured his elbow after being cut by one of the Dallas Cowboys running back. When he put his hand down to break his fall, his elbow clearly gave out and created one of the nastier replays you'll see this season.

The elbow bent in, let's say, an unusual fashion. It didn't take years of medical school to know it was dislocated and that the team would likely need to find a replacement for the final weeks of the season and hope he can return for the playoffs.

I'm not a huge fan of Bradley's and losing him doesn't worry me too much, but there's no denying that at this point he's the best option in the middle. Rookie Jamar Chaney did a good job filling in, but there's no guarantee he'll be the guy moving forward.

Veteran Omar Gaither has seen significant time in the middle in past seasons and even started one game in the middle this year when Bradley was forced to miss with a concussion. Gaither, however, has been falling out of favor with the coaching staff for the past couple seasons and would have to really shine to prevent Chaney from starting.

Another option could be Kawika Mitchell, the former Buffalo Bills linebacker the Eagles worked out last week. Mitchell would likely need a week or two to pick up the defense first, but as a veteran he could step in without much of an issue.

If I was a betting man, I would put my money on Chaney getting the first starts of his young career with Gaither as his backup and replacement on the special teams units.

In other injury news...

Rookie linebacker (and part-time safety) Keenan Clayton will miss at least one week with a sprained knee.
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Parker will miss his second game with a hip flexor.


The Eagles' final injury report of the week came out Wednesday morning, and in total it includes seven players: Jorrick Calvin (back), Nick Cole (knee), Trevard Lindley (knee), and LeSean McCoy (shoulder) are all probable to play. Riley Cooper (knee) and Asante Samuel (knee) are questionable, and Juqua Parker (hip) has been ruled out.

So far this season, every player listed as probable has played. So there's no reason to worry about Calvin, Cole, Lindley or, most importantly, McCoy. They will all be suited up and good to go.

Parker, as we expected after not practicing all week, is out. But Cooper, who also did not practice all week, is only questionable. He's not expected to play, but it's looking like he will be a game-time decision.

Samuel is the key here. He practiced all week on a limited basis and, although he's listed as questionable, he does expect to play. The "questionable" listing means that, like Cooper, Samuel will be a game-time decision.

With Parker out, Brandon Graham will make his second consecutive start and his fifth of the season. Graham had a decent game against the Chicago Bears as he pulled Jay Cutler down once, but he's going to have to get pressure much more consistently if the defense is going to slow down the Houston Texans' passing offense.

If Cooper cannot go, head coach Andy Reid has already said that Chad Hall will get the nod. Hall has been active for a couple games this season while guys were banged up, and he's lined up at receiver and running back. Hall can also return punts in a pinch, so having him on the field gives Reid flexibility in a lot of different areas.

If Samuel winds up missing his second game, we will once again see Joselio Hanson. Hanson got abused by the Bears receiving corps, so seeing him lined up against the much bigger Kevin Walter or Andre Johnson is enough to give Eagles fans nightmares.

Hopefully Samuel is ready to go and Hanson can take back his natural spot in the slot. With Samuel and Dimitri Patterson on the outside and Hanson in the nickel, they should at least be able to contain Walter, Johnson, and Matt Schaub.

The Eagles play the Texans Thursday night on NFL Network at 8:20PMEST.
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If Parker sits Sunday, Graham would be the starter.


The Chicago Bears' offense has been incredibly disappointing all season long. The team is winning, but Mike Martz's presence has not produced the type of fire-power everyone was expecting with Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Johnny Knox, and Devin Hester.

The biggest problem has been the offensive line. They're not an overly-impressive group to begin with, and Martz has never been known for his great blocking schemes. This has left Cutler open to hits and sacks.

Overall, the Bears are 30th in the league in quarterback hits allowed (64) and are dead last in sacks allowed with Cutler going down 37 times already.

Those numbers are the only thing that give me hope the Eagles can improve to 8-3 this Sunday.

Asante Samuel and Juqua Parker have not practiced all week long. Then in Thursday's practice, starting defensive tackle Antonio Dixon was forced to leave practice and took only mental reps on Friday.

Usually players missing practice on Friday means they're not going to play. All three guys have been listed as questionable (which means a 50-50 chance of playing), but head coach Andy Reid has said missing practice Friday does not necessarily mean they won't play.

Reid said during his Friday press conference that because Samuel and Parker are veteran guys the mental reps don't mean as much for them. They're veteran guys, so if they get to a point where they feel like they can play -- even as late as Sunday afternoon -- he would have no problem playing them.

As for Dixon, he only missed part of Thursday and did at least watch practice on Friday. Because of that, it's possible that Dixon could dress.

All three, according to Reid, are scheduled to make the trip to Chicago.

But even though they're all listed as questionable, the feeling is that Parker is probably more doubtful. No one seems to think he's going to play. In his place, rookie Brandon Graham becomes the starter once again.

Graham hasn't been overly impressive in his rookie season, but he has made some plays to show that he is coming along. Perhaps against a bad offensive line he can get his season on track and gain some momentum heading into the home stretch.

Samuel is a bit of an unknown. He says he wants to play and that he's going to give it a shot, but the feeling is that no one would be too surprised if he starts or if he's scratched.

But if I'm Sean McDermott, I'm praying to any god I can that Samuel plays. Without Samuel, Joselio Hanson and Dimitri Patterson become the starters. Hanson has played well as the nickel corner, but he's just too small to play on the outside. The Bears don't have great receivers, but they're probably good enough to give Hanson fits.

That would also mean that rookie Trevard Lindley -- who has been a healthy scratch more often than not -- would see a lot of playing time in the nickel. And for those who don't pay close enough attention, the Eagles probably run the nickel more than 50 percent of the time.

Jorrick Calvin and Brandon Hughes would be next in line should the Eagles play in a dime package, but it's likely the team would call on third safety Kurt Coleman before they resort to either of those guys.

If Dixon can't go, (and, like Samuel, no one is quite sure if he can or not) Brodrick Bunkley would step in and become the starter once again. Bunkley has seen a lot of time in a rotation and has been the starter for a few years now, so there's not too much cause for concern there.

That would just leave Bunkley and Mike Patterson as the starters with Trevor Laws rotating in on passing situations or to give either guy a break.

With Parker and Dixon out, it's also possible that third-round pick Daniel Te'o-Nesheim could be active for only the third time this season and the first time since facing Tennessee in Week 7.

The replacements should be good enough to slow down an already-weak offense. The problem is that the Bears' defense has shown they're more than capable of slowing down a good offense, so Chicago's offense might not need to do a whole lot of scoring to pull out a win.

For an UPDATE on this story, click here.

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Hobbs' absence could give Patterson a chance to shine.


After not practicing all week, backup left tackle King Dunlap and cornerback Ellis Hobbs have been officially ruled out for the Eagles' Week 9 game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Dunlap had been starting in Jason Peters' absence, but Peters is expected to start against the Colts so Dunlap was going to head back to the bench anyway. He has proven to be a valuable backup, but now the undrafted free agent Austin Howard will be the guy called upon should Peters have a setback in the coming weeks.

Hobbs, as we knew, was already ruled out as a starter. The team hadn't ruled out the possibility of him perhaps playing in a reserve role, but Hobbs will sit this one out and open up some playing time for rookie Trevard Lindley.

Lindley is expected to see time when the defense goes to its dime set and could even platoon with Dimitri Patterson as the man across from Asante Samuel on the right side.

As for the rest of the Eagles' injury report, Peters (knee), wide receiver DeSean Jackson (concussion), defensive end Juqua Parker (hip), defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley (elbow), reserve lineman Nick Cole (knee), defensive end Brandon Graham (ankle), and quarterback Michael Vick (rib) were all listed as probable.

There were not any players listed as questionable or doubtful, and everyone listed as probable is expected to play barring any setbacks. Of the seven listed, only Cole is either not a starter or expected to see a lot of time in a rotational role.

Outside of Hobbs, the Eagles will have every one of their starters available to them, which is obviously very important when playing a quality team like the Colts. But if it takes Vick, Jackson, and Peters too long to get back into the swing of things after missing some time it still might not be enough.

The offense is going to have to score a lot of point on the arm of Vick and the rest of the offense if they're going to out-duel Peyton Manning -- recently ranked as the eighth-based player in NFL history by NFL Films' Top 100 series -- and even the slightest mistake due to an injury or otherwise could mean a .500 record for the Birds after eight weeks.
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With Graham in camp, the real teaching can begin.


Finally, it's happened.

No, I don't mean the Roy Oswalt deal. That's a different team. Finally, the Eagles have signed their first-round pick, defensive end Brandon Graham -- and just in time too.

Coming in now means Graham won't miss any team practices. He did miss the opportunity to get a small head-start with his fellow rookies, but he's a smart enough guy and should be able to make up that lost time as it's mostly mental.

Missing live hitting drills, however, could have held him back all season long. That's the time when these rookies truly get to see the speed of the NFL. Granted, it's against your own teammates, so the speed is dialed down a little, but it gives them a much-needed taste of the difference in speed, size, and athleticism.

It also gives him an opportunity to truly learn the defense through repetition. It's one thing to have your nose in the playbook; it's something completely different to actually get out on the field, listen to the call, read the offense, and make decisions -- within the scheme -- on the fly.

Had Graham missed any of the live team drills, things could have gotten ugly for him. We saw it with Brodrick Bunkley in 2006 and Jeremy Maclin to a lesser degree last year; missing camp can translate in an entire season being a wash.

Or, in Maclin's case, the first few weeks or so, at least.

But now that awful scenario has been avoided, we can all start getting a little giddy about seeing Graham in action. I'll be there to see it first-hand from the sidelines this Saturday when the team suits up and hits for the first time, so be sure to check back for instant updates via Twitter.

Some odds and ends: Graham's deal is five years. Financial terms were not disclosed. The team released wide receiver Blue Cooper to make room for Graham. Also, expect another cut soon as the Birds make room for the newly-signed Jared Perry.
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Graham has got to stick to his word and get in camp.


Every year there are rookies, mostly first-round picks, arriving late to Training Camp. But this season, the amount of rookies missing camp is outrageous.

There are not only first-round picks missing, but there are second and third-round guys missing time as well, even though there's very little negotiating involved in their contracts. The league is in a period of uncertainty with CBA talks ongoing, but that's still no excuse for the logjam.

Everyone, including Brandon Graham's agent Joel Segal, is waiting for the guys ahead and behind them to sign before they even throw out a first number. But if everyone takes this approach, how is anyone going to ever sign?

And last I checked, isn't it the agent's job to negotiate a deal for these guys? If all they're going to do is find middle ground between the guy ahead and behind their pick, why would the players even hire an agent? Any moron can figure out the difference and sign the deal without having to pay someone else an ungodly percentage.

The point is that if these agents want paid, why not make them actually do their job?

But, instead, the agents have these players convinced that they're the boss. These players work under the false assumption that they should blindly follow whatever the agent says because it's in his best interest.

The reality of the situation, however, is that these agents are looking out for themselves and how they can squeeze the most money for them out of a deal. They don't care whether or not their guy misses two days, two weeks, or two months. As long as they're getting the highest dollar amount possible when all is said and done, they're happy.

What the players have to understand is that these agents can do this forever, and there will always be another high-profile guy. For the players, they only have one go at this and have to play as well as they possibly can if they want to see a second contract.

The agents don't have that concern, so they're working a different angle entirely.

And from the looks of it, someone needs to grab Brandon Graham, smack him upside the head a few times, and drive that point home. Segal could care less that Graham is falling behind the competition while he misses camp. Once Graham signs that deal, Segal has made his money and that's that.

But for Graham, the hard work is only beginning. He's going to need every practice he can get to gain an edge on the guys ahead and around him. For now, Juqua Parker is the guy until someone unseats him. And if Graham thinks he's done that just by being a first-round pick then he's sadly mistaken.

Andy Reid could care less where you were picked. If Graham can't understand the defense and isn't up to snuff by the end of the preseason, he won't see the field. Reid did it in 2006 with Brodrick Bunkley, and he'd surely do it again with Graham.

It's out of the Eagles' hands. It's up to Graham to realize he must be in camp, and stick to his promise to avoid a lengthy holdout. Because if he doesn't, guys like Parker, Darryl Tapp, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, and Ricky Sapp would be more than happy to take his snaps during camp, preseason, and from September onward.
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Allen could be an impact player if he's in camp on time.


According to Les Bowen of Philly.com, there's a chance rookie starting free safety Nate Allen could be signed today before all rookies and a few selected veterans are scheduled to show up at Lehigh University to kick of the Eagles' 2010 Training Camp.

As a second-round pick, Allen doesn't have much wiggle-room in negotiations. He'll get about a 30 percent raise over the guy taken in the same slot last season (Alphonso Smith, CB, Denver Broncos), and perhaps some playing-time incentives.

Other than that, there really isn't anything to negotiate and it's a bit perplexing as to why more second-round picks haven't signed.

The Eagles' first-round pick, Brandon Graham, is not expected to sign anytime soon. It's likely Graham misses at least the first week of camp, even though he said early in the process that he would definitely not hold out.

Most rookies say that, but very few of them follow through. But, as luck would have it for the Birds, the Dallas Cowboys drafted the one kid who actually followed through and will have all of Training Camp to focus on making the Eagles look foolish.

But, I digress -- slightly.

If Graham was smart, he would have a chat with the Eagles' first-round pick in 2009, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. Maclin missed the first week of Training Camp and it translated into about two weeks of his rookie season being an absolute wash.

And if we don't count his monster game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (it is the Yucks, after all), he seems to have lost about a month.

If you were to ask Maclin about his decision today, he'd likely tell you he should have been in camp on time if for no other reason than to help his season get off to a better overall start.

At least for Maclin the competition at receiver was fairly thin and some early injuries helped him see the field more than he usually would have. For Graham, he's facing some stiff competition and falling behind early could kill his chances not only to start, but to see the field on anything other than obvious passing downs.

He's going to be competing with a guy like Darryl Tapp, whom the Eagles think very highly of, as well as Alex Hall, Victor Abiamiri, and the wiley veteran Juqua "don't call me Thomas" Parker.

In other words, It's going to be pretty easy for him to fall into the middle of the pack early on in this process if he's unable to grasp the defense quickly enough -- a feat difficult to do with all his time put in, much less after missing 14 practices or so.

Allen, whether he signs on time or not, looks to be the starting free safety by default. After Marlin Jackson went down for the season and Macho Harris had been moved to corner, that had essentially been decided.

If he can get in on time and start working with Sean McDermott and the defense immediately, it should mean good things for the kid and a big step in the right direction for a somewhat patchy secondary. If Bowen's source winds up with egg on his mysterious face, however, it could mean a long season for Allen and the entire defense.

Especially since it looks like they won't be able to count on Graham for at least the first two weeks to a month of the season.
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WR Riley Cooper signed a four-year deal Tuesday.


With the announcement Tuesday that fifth-round pick wide receiver Riley Cooper is finally on board, the Eagles can now turn their attention to signing first-round pick Brandon Graham and second-round pick Nate Allen.

Allen, more than likely, will be the next guy to sign. Second-round picks don't command a whole lot of money and it's basically just about figuring out the slotting. Graham, on the other hand, could turn into a major pain.

The top 15 picks are always the hardest to get into camp, and Graham recently made it seem like he wouldn't mind holding out for a few days saying he'll work hard at camp "when [he] gets there."

That's not exactly what the Birds want to hear from their first-round pick, and they'd rather avoid a holdout for the second year in a row. Jeremy Maclin only missed the first week or so of camp, but it was clear in the first month of the season that the missed time affected him.

Had he been in camp on time, he could have been much more of a difference-maker much sooner and just had an all-around better season. Graham, selected six spots higher than Maclin, needs to learn from history and get to camp on time.

At least for Maclin the competition at wide receiver wasn't too steep. But for Graham, the competition at defensive end is always intense. The Eagles have overloaded on guys, and it's like Graham could get pushed to the middle of the pack if he's unable to get into camp on time.

Trent Cole has hit spot on the right side locked down, so guys like Darryl Tapp, Juqua Parker, Victor Abiamiri, and Alex Hall are all going to be fighting for one spot whether or not Graham is on the field.

That's not exactly a group of All-Stars, but it's a group defensive coordinator Sean McDermott likes enough that he'd feel comfortable keeping Graham on the bench if he feels he's not mentally or physically ready to go by the time the season starts.

I've given my thoughts on the most recent signing, Riley Cooper, before, but it's always interesting when a fifth-round pick can make such a stir in OTAs that everyone is talking about him knocking off a veteran the Eagles are familiar with like Hank Baskett.

I haven't gotten a chance to see him in person yet, but you can bet I'll be paying attention to him from the sidelines at Training Camp. He's got the athletic ability that can translate into one hell of an NFL receiver, and the college highlights to back it up.

He might not win the fourth receiver spot as a rookie, but he's going to be exciting to watch progress throughout the season.

Andy Reid has a history of hitting with fifth-round picks (Omar Gaither, Trent Cole, Brent Celek, and perhaps even Macho Harris and a guy with a lot of potential in Cornelius Ingram), and Cooper looks like he could be next in line if he translate what he did in shorts in OTAs to pads in Training Camp.
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Coleman looks to immediately assume a backup role.


According to Tony Pauline's (of SI.com) player rankings, the Eagles had a fairly successful draft with six picks he would rank as value picks, and three guys he would call a reach. A reach, of course, being a player taken before his projected grade, and a value being a player taken after his projected round.

Four picks, according to Pauline, were right where they should be. Brandon Graham (DE - 1st round), Nate Allen (FS - 2nd round), Daneil Te'o-Nesheim (DE - 3rd round), and Keenan Clayton (4th round) were all spot on according to their grade.

Mike Mayock, however, had a sixth or seventh-round grade for Te'o-Nesheim. But, for our purposes, let's stick with what Pauline says -- mainly because it looks better.

The reaches, for some odd reason, all came in the fourth round. And some of them, specifically Clay Harbor, were very bad.

Trevor Lindley, the first pick of the Eagles' four fourth-round picks, got a sixth-round grade from Pauline. Mike Kafka, the quarterback out of Northwestern, had a fifth-round grade, and Harbor had an astounding seveth-round, or free agent, grade.

The Eagles must have seen something they like in Kafka, because there were a few quarterbacks still available that were universally ranked higher. John Skelton, a guy they really seemed to like, and Tony Pike were still on the board at the point Kafka was drafted, making it look even more like a reach.

Lindley is another perplexing pick. He seems to play a lot like Asante Samuel, a guy who, by all accounts, drives defensive coordinator Sean McDermott crazy with his freelance style of play and his refusal to play press. Lindley doesn't have the superstar syndrome that Samuel seems to have, but he has the same downfalls as Samuel.

Harbor is a guy I know very little about, but there doesn't seem to be many "experts" that have him as a good pick so early in the draft, so it's has to be a cause for concern. Reid and company used to get the benefit of the doubt, but ever since they got burned by Bryan Smith and Chris Gocong it's impossible not to second guess when they reach so badly.

However, credit must be given when credit is due.

Of their 13 picks, Pauline has six rated as value picks. Ricky Sapp (DE/LB - 5th round), Riley Cooper (WR - 5th round), Charles Scott (RB - 6th round), Jamar Chaney (LB - 7th round), Kurt Coleman (S - 7th round), and Jeff Owens (DT - 7th round).

Sapp had a second-round grade, while Cooper, Scott, Chaney, Coleman, and Owens all had third-round grades.

Sapp will probably compete at SAM linebacker because of his size (6'4, 250), but the rest of these guys will have a difficult time finding a role outside of special teams.

Cooper will probably make the team solely on his ability to play special teams. Scott will have to compete with Eldra Buckley for the third running back spot and have to show he can play special teams -- an area in which Buckley excels.

Chaney will probably have to compete with Gaither, but Gaither's versatility will make it very difficult for him to find a place on this team, much less with a role on the defense. Owens, a run-stuffing defensive tackle, will have a very hard time because the Eagles have an abundance of tackles like Owens.

Brodrick Bunkley, Mike Patterson, and Antonio Dixon are all run-stuffers, so unless Owens can generate some pressure up the middle in preseason he could find himself on the practice squad or simply cut altogether.

Coleman, a safety out of Ohio State, probably has the best chance of the late-round picks to make the team. With Nate Allen probably stepping into the role of free safety right away, Marlin Jackson and Macho Harris could be moved to cornerback. That would leave Quintin Demps as the only backup safety.

Coleman is currently listed as a strong safety, making it even more likely that he becomes the guy behind Quintin Mikell since the Eagles are currently lacking a true No. 2 strong safety.

No draft class can truly be evaluated for three seasons, so it's impossible to know how well the Eagles have done with these picks. But on the surface, it looks like a great haul for a young team looking to retool and compete immediately and for the next five or six seasons.
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Pierre-Paul is a freakish athlete with a lot of upside.


It's often extremely hard to get into the collective mind of the Philadelphia Eagles front office. They are very good at not tipping their hand, and usually any move they make catches everyone on the outside off-guard to the point it will hurt your neck on the double-take.

But if we really look hard enough, it becomes clear what they're draft-day plan has become: take the best defensive end available and move forward from there.

They will most likely address other needs, such as the secondary, offensive line, and linebacker in the later rounds, but their first round pick appears to be set -- barring a slide of a great player like Eric Berry, Earl Thomas, C.J. Spiller or someone of their caliber, the Eagles will simply stay put at 24th overall and draft the best defensive end left on the board.

And there's a very good chance that they'll be able to land one of the coveted defensive ends at the 24th pick. There's probably four defensive ends with a first round grade -- Brandon Graham of Michigan, Everson Griffen of USC, Jason Pierre-Paul of USF, and Carlos Dunlap of Florida -- and I've only seen two (at most) slated to land before the Eagles.

It's not because they're not great players, but mainly due to teams having other needs or, in the case of Pierre-Paul, Dunlap, and Griffen, having worries about their maturity off the field.

The most likely to be off the board is Pierre-Paul, so we'll remove him from the equation. That still means that Graham, Griffen, and Dunlap will most likely be available, and one of them will become an Eagle.

So how do we know all that?

Well, the Eagles are creatures of habit. They handle things the same way year in and year out in that they will address their immediate needs through free agency and wait on the draft for positions they feel like they either (a) cannot get value at through free agency or (b) feel they're set for the upcoming season and recognize it as a need in the future.

In the case of getting a defensive end, I think it's most likely option 'A.'

Julius Peppers drew some interest from the Eagles, and they flirted with the idea of bringing in Aaron Kampman, but in the end they recognized that both guys wanted far too much money and with free agency as thin as it was, they were going to get it.

The Eagles weren't willing to spend it, and I don't blame them. But they did go out and address their needs at free safety by signing Marlin Jackson, and they feel comfortable enough with their linebackers to release Will Witherspoon (who has since signed with the Titans), so the next logical step is defensive end.

Andy Reid will always take the best player on the board regardless of position, but I believe this year it will just happen to be the best player on the board who fits a need as well. Then in the second and third rounds they can hopefully bring in another free safety and a true SAM 'backer.

Personally, my hope is that Pierre-Paul is still on the board, but it will most likely be Carlos Dunlap. I think the Birds are enamored with Dunlap's size and skill set, and aren't all that worried about his off-field issues. I would say the potential positives of both players certainly outweigh the potential negatives.

If both of those players are gone, I would prefer Brandon Graham and then Everson Griffen -- in that order. Griffen is probably more gifted athletically, but Graham seems like a stand-up guy who also has what it takes to make it in the NFL.

Either way, the fretting can stop because the Eagles will be picking a defensive end right off the bat come April 22nd.
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